Jets fly tiny chopper over practice following plane’s ‘Fire Idzik’ banner
Jets GM John Idzik’s seat isn’t just hot, it’s burning at a high enough temperature to melt through the earth’s outer core. Earlier this week, a plane (alas, not an actual jet) flew a banner over Jets practice demanding that the team FIRE JOHN IDZIK.
There are several approaches to take when responding to such a brazen dare. The first, of course, is to do nothing, drawing no further attention to the story. The second is to do what Augusta National did when a plane flew banners insulting Tiger Woods during the Masters, and bring in the FAA to ground the pilot. Or you can take the Jets’ approach: mock it with toys.
At Thursday’s indoor practice, a tiny toy helicopter bearing a GO JETS banner flew about 40 feet over the 50-yard line. Several players saw the helicopter and smiled, per ESPN. The banner was the idea of Jets head coach Rex Ryan, who, like many Jets officials, was reportedly incensed at the original plane banner.
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“The message is, we’re in this together,” Ryan said. “We all recognize 1-8, but we’re in it together at 1-8, and that’s the way it is. It’s not about pointing blame. We’re all to blame, but we’re going to fix it. At least, we’re darn determined to fix it.”
The banner was paid for by an unidentified female fan at a cost of about $1,000. It’s the second major fan initiative in a week, following the launch of a website devoted to Idzik’s firing.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter.
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